The Bodyguard
by Oirasor
Summary: Kagome was kidnapped, but she managed to escape. Now she's getting a bodyguard since the kidnapper is still out there. Can anyone guess who that bodyguard is? InuxKag, MirxSan
1. Dream

**A/N:** Konnichiwa, readers! This is my first fic of Inuyasha, so be nice, okay? :) Enjoy reading!  
  
**Disclaimer:** I see these every single time I read an Inuyasha fic, and I just don't get the point of it. All of you already know that my name isn't Rumiko Takahashi, because I wouldn't be here right now if I was! I'd have Inuyasha tied up and. . Um. . -sweatdrop- ;; Let's just say I don't own Inuyasha and leave it like that. -slinks off-  
  
**Chapter One ::** Dream  
  
It was a dark night. Kagome lay awake in her bed, dark eyes staring up at the ceiling. It had been three days since she was kidnapped. She had escaped, but only narrowly, and the kidnapper was still on the lose. She would be getting a body guard tomorrow, since she was too afraid to be left alone anymore. Kagome had been getting nightmares for the last two nights she had slept and she wasn't anxious to sleep again. She coaxed her eyelids to droop and she yawned, hoping it would put her in a sleepy mood. It didn't. She was too nervous and apprehensive about tomorrow, and she wasn't very keen on sleeping when she knew that more nightmares would invade her head.  
  
She turned on her side, staring at her desk, her eyes unblinking. She closed her eyes again, furrowing her brows in annoyance. Buyo, her pet cat, jumped on top of her bed and she let out a squeal. When she realized it was just her cat, her shoulders relaxed and she set the covers right again. Reflexively she stuck her arm out from behind the covers and began to gently pet her cat, earning a purr from the content kitty. The purr began to lull the teenager to sleep, and finally with a few more strokes, she fell into a trance.  
  
**. . . Dream . . .**  
  
_ Kagome glanced down at her legs, finding them bound with rope, tightly pressed against each other. She wiggled her arms, only to find that her wrists were constrained as well. Hot tears fell against her cheek as she glanced out of the car window, trying to figure out how she was going to get out of the moving vehicle. Suddenly, the car stopped and the driver's door opened. The hooded man who was driving had stepped out. They stopped at a gas station and he went into the market.  
  
Rain splattered against her window. She wiggled viciously, able to free one hand. Quickly she removed the rope from her legs and opened the door, flinging herself out of the car and running in the opposite direction in which the car was parked. She felt a wave of relief wash over her, but she wasn't out of the clear yet. She had to find somebody, anybody, with a phone so she could call the police and have that man taken to jail. A car drove by and she madly raised her arms, trying to get it stop, but it drove on. The driver had a look of disgust on his face. She glanced down at her clothes, seeing why. They were rather skimpy, but it was her school uniform and she was already used to all the looks she got from people.  
  
She stopped to catch her breath when she heard an angry yell and a car driving towards her at top speed. Her eyes widened when she saw the bright headlights of the car that belonged to her captor. Filled with fear and worry, she ran as fast as she could. A car stopped in the next lane. Inside was a young girl, about seventeen or so. She looked nice enough so she ran across the street at top speed, opened the door of the passenger's side and jumped in, cowering in her seat.  
  
"Are you okay?" the young girl asked, driving once more. Kagome glanced at her, shivering. "I saw you running. You looked like you were in trouble."  
  
The scared girl glanced out the window seeing no speeding cars or angry men in hoods coming towards her. "I was. ." she choked back a sob, leaning her head against the window. "I was walking home from school and a man kidnapped me. He told me he was going to do stuff to me and I was too weak to fight back. . He told me to get into the car or he was going to shoot me. He was holding a gun pointed directly at my face and. . I just got in. . I couldn't. . I'm sorry I'm getting your seat wet."  
  
The driver turned to look at the young shivering girl who looked about her age. "Don't worry about that, now. I'm going to drive you to the police station so you can file a report. My name is Sango, by the way. What's your name?"  
  
"Kagome." she looked out the window again, sighing softly. She was safe and out of harm's way. For now.  
_  
**. . . End Dream . . .**  
  
Her alarm clock rang and she instinctively smacked the snooze button. She groggily sat up in her bed, envisioning the capture again in her mind.  
  
"The same dream occurs over and over. ." she shook her head, as if that would help her clear her thoughts. She stood up and walked to the kitchen, smiling at her mom.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi turned to look at her daughter, then turned back to the stove, where she was making eggs. "Ready for today, Kagome?"  
  
The blurry-eyed teenager nodded and sat down at the table, holding her chopsticks in one hand. "What's for breakfast, mama?"  
  
"Eggs and bacon, dear. Call Souta for me, will you?"  
  
Kagome nodded and turned around in her chair. "Souta, get down here! It's breakfast time!"  
  
"Just because you have to be up this early doesn't mean that I have to! What's the deal?" Souta ran downstairs and plopped onto a chair, wolfing down his already made eggs and bacon. Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"Pig."  
  
Souta just shrugged and continued eating. Kagome looked at her bacon and eggs which seemed to be smiling at her. She slowly began to eat, then looked up at her mom. "I'm not very hungry."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi nodded, understanding. "Yes, dear. You don't have to eat what you can't. We're going to go in a half an hour so you might want to change, or something." Kagome nodded and stood up and turned around, bumping into her grandfather.  
  
"Sorry, grandpa! I'm gonna go shower really quick and then change. You can have what I didn't eat." Kagome looked back at her breakfast and then half-heartedly walked upstairs. Grandpa shook his head.  
  
"I wonder what that girl's going through."  
  
**A/N:** So, what do you think? Do you like it so far? Think I should go on? Any questions or comments. . Feel free to ask me! Go easy on the reviews, would ya? :) Sorry this is a short chapter, I don't see how other people do it! .o; I'll try making my chapters longer, if you all liked this one, that is. 


	2. Meeting

**A/N:** Thank you so much for your nice reviews I seriously did not really know how to work the stupid uploading and stuff. I was getting so frustrated. . But I got it now, I think! Hopefully. . Eh. .  
  
**Hot Hanyou:** Thanks you for reviewing! :D ( Reviewed before but I was frustrated and kept deleting my story :/ )  
  
**WiNtEr-sToRm-oF-iCe:** How did you know the bodyguard was Inuyasha? :o! LoL :P Thank you for reviewing I'll add more, don't worry!  
  
**Fatcat11388:** Thank you for reviewing!   
  
**OceanBreeze777:** Thank you for reviewing!   
  
Thank you all again!  
  
**Disclaimer:** Stop rubbing it in! I don't own Inuyasha. . Though I'd like to. ;)

**Chapter Two ::** Meeting  
  
Kagome walked downstairs after showering and changing. She was wearing something fairly casual, since she wasn't really counting on going anywhere nice anytime soon. Her outfit merely consisted of blue jeans and an orange tee. While wrapping her dark raven colored hair in a ponytail, her mom greeted her from the kitchen.  
  
"Ready to go, Kagome?"  
  
The young girl nodded and they walked to the car, silently. Mrs. Higurashi broke the stillness.  
  
"Are you ready to meet your bodyguard?" she asked as they entered the car. Kagome weakly bobbed her head up and down, indicating that she was ready. But in reality, she really wasn't. She wasn't ready to meet somebody who would follow her around constantly, but she needed to be ready. She knew that she needed this person to protect her more than anything, to help push away the fear of getting kidnapped. She hadn't gone to school ever since the kidnapping. The teachers insisted, so she decided to take the offer. She shut her eyes tightly and prepared herself.  
  
Her mother sighed and began driving towards the police station. As soon as they arrived, Kagome was having second thoughts.  
  
"What if he's not trustworthy, and ends up kidnapping me? Or what if he's actually a pervert?" she looked up at her mom with wide eyes.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi giggled, wrapping an arm around her daughter's shoulders and pulling her close. "Don't worry. I'm sure they picked out a nice young man to take care of you. I'm sure he'll protect you and not let anything bad happen. That's what he's there for, right?"  
  
"But. . What if—"  
  
"Kagome. The police department wouldn't hire somebody that they didn't trust, would they? I'm sure they had to at least work here a lot in order to gain trust from the men in uniform."  
  
Seemingly satisfied with her explanation, mother lead daughter into the station. A young man greeted them from behind a glass screen. Kagome's mom spoke into the little speakerbox next to the screen while Kagome walked around like a lost lamb.  
  
"Please, come with me." The man pushed a button which opened a door to the right. Kagome and her mom stepped in.  
  
"Hey, Inuyasha, are you ready for today?" a group of men were sitting in a locker room in a circle, talking to each other. The one named 'Inuyasha' turned to look at the man who spoke to him.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Whatever. I've gone through this before, I can make it again."  
  
"Again? You couldn't even do your job right the last time. It's a wonder the chief's giving you another chance."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his amber eyes and raked a clawed hand through his long silver hair. He was a demon. A half-demon, or hanyou, to be exact. It's amazing that there are still demons here in the 21st century. "That time I made a mistake. It won't happen again."  
  
"You let Kikyo get kidnapped again and held for ransom. How, though? You're a demon. Couldn't you track her down with that nose of yours?" the man who was talking to him tweaked his nose and Inuyasha scowled.  
  
"Half-demon."  
  
Amber eyes locked dangerously with azure ones. Inuyasha stood up and growled, the dog-like ears on top of his head twitching.  
  
"Stupid half-breed. I don't see why the chief even hired you in the first place. You're just a low-life—"  
  
Naki, the man who was speaking with Inuyasha before, stood up and situated himself in front of the one with the blue eyes. "Knock it, off Kouga! You don't want to start another fight again! One more riot and you'll be kicked off the team."  
  
Inuyasha sneered and a buzzer rang throughout the room. A police officer and two ladies followed him. One looked a bit older, and the other looked a lot like. .  
  
"Kikyo?" Inuyasha half whispered. His eyes grew as big as basketballs as he stared at the young female standing next to the officer. Everybody turned to look, because she did in fact, look like the lady Inuyasha was hired to protect three years ago.  
  
She blinked and looked at Inuyasha. Her eyes also grew, for she had never seen a demon in real life.  
  
"No, Inuyasha. Her name is Kagome. She's the one you are to protect until they catch the person who kidnapped her."  
  
The hanyou's shoulders slumped, but he quickly regained his posture. "Keh."  
  
The police officer leaned down and brought his voice to a quiet whisper. "You'll have to excuse him. Sometimes he can be a bit moody, but he's a pretty nice all-around guy. It'll take a while to get used to him."  
  
Inuyasha glared bullets into the police officer and cleared his throat, "I heard that!"  
  
"I'm going to have a demon taking care of me?" she gulped, but in a way she was relieved. Her mom had told her that they began to hire demons to guard the innocent because the normal humans had either gotten killed, or couldn't keep up with all the crazy things happening to some of these people.  
  
"Actually, he's a half-demon." The officer corrected.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi walked in front of Kagome and looked Inuyasha up and down. "I guess he'll do. He looks strong enough." She blinked and poked his arms and Inuyasha stared angrily in front of himself, trying to contain his anger.  
  
"I really dislike being touched."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi frowned and stood in front of the half-demon. She shrugged in defeat. "Do you want this man to take care of you, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome let out a little squeak and looked Inuyasha in the eyes. She seemed to be mesmerized by his stare, and the beautiful color of his eyes. She almost turned green with envy when she realized that her eyes weren't as vibrant as his.  
  
"Sure." She answered, feeling a lot smaller than everybody in there. Out of all the people standing in that room, she was by far the littlest. They were all demons or half demons, no doubt. She could tell by the way she looked. One guy had sparkling blue eyes, a bushy tail, and his hair was done up in a ponytail, similar to hers.  
  
"Alright then. Let me introduce you to each other. Kagome, this is Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is Kagome. Inuyasha, the chief told me to tell you that if you mess up again, he'll fire you and ban you from ever being a bodyguard again. Don't screw up this time; you're an asset to this team."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes but nodded anyway, and Kagome raised a hand. Everyone turned to look at her and she felt that small-feeling again.  
  
"Um. . Mess up _again_?"  
  
The officer smacked himself in the forehead and shook his head quickly. "It's alright, you don't need to know about it." He gave Inuyasha a hard stare before leading them out into the police lobby.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi smiled, bowed, and said thank you to the officer before leading Kagome and Inuyasha to the car.  
  
"Why don't you two sit in the back and get to know each other?"  
  
Kagome nodded and Inuyasha just followed.  
  
"So. . You're the one who's going to be watching out for me for the next few. . Err. ."  
  
"Months?" he snorted, buckling his seatbelt.  
  
"Well. . Won't they find the guy soon?"  
  
"Keh. It'll probably take them a couple of months at the least. Did you see the guy's face?"  
  
"Who, the one who captured me?"  
  
"Duh."  
  
Kagome sighed. "No. . He had a hood on. But his hair was wavy and black, and his hands were pale. When he confronted me, though, I could see his eyes because he was wearing some sort of mask. His eyes were a strange blood-red color, which kinda frightened me. ."  
  
It sounded too familiar. Could it just be a coincidence? Inuyasha's fist clenched involuntarily as he thought of the incident that happened three years ago. Three whole years. . They should have found him by now, at least, but no. He was still out there. He visibly twitched, thinking about how it could just be a twist of fate.  
  
"Inuyasha? Are you okay? Hello?" she poked his forehead and he scowled, a growl starting in the back of his throat. She withdrew her hand quickly.  
  
"Sorry, sorry. I forgot you don't like to be touched."  
  
He shook his head, dismissing the subject.  
  
"So. . Mama says we have to get to know each other. How old are you? What's your favorite color? How long have you been protecting people?"  
  
The questions went on and on and on and Inuyasha's head almost spun with all quick talking. It was going to be a _long_ next couple of months.**A/N:** Sooo, what'd you think? Feel free to tell me in your reviews! :3 I hope you all don't think it's too confusing or anything. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to ask/tell me! I tried to make this one longer. Did it work? xx 


	3. Conversation

**A/N:** Hiya, again! n.n Thank you **Hot-Hanyou** for your review. I bet you all think I'm weird for not complaining about getting enough reviews right? :P Wrong. I really don't mind. I just like posting up my story, and hopefully there are people out there who read it. ;) I'm sure I'll care later on, though. LoL :P Well. . I actually tried to make this one longer. Did it work? I really do _not_ see how some of my favourite authors can do it. Oh, and if you want to read some extremely _extremely_ good fanfiction, go check out **Rozefire**'s fiction. They are so good. Once you start reading, you'll never be able to stop! :P Trust me, I know!

Well, I'm trying to update everyday to keep you people happy. :) But that might change in a few days. So, yeah. Okie, on with the disclaimer, then the story!  
  
**Disclaimer:** I seriously don't see what the point of doing this all the time is. :B No, I don't own Inuyasha and yes, I wish I did. Happy!? Now you can't sue me!

**. . .  
  
**

**Chapter 3 ::** Conversation  
  
Inuyasha was the last to get out of the car. He walked to the back of the vehicle while Kagome's mom popped open the trunk, so he could get his things. He reached in for his suitcase while Kagome helped him take other bags and things. Then, they went inside the house.  
  
Kagome escorted Inuyasha around the house, showing him where the kitchen, dining room, family room and living rooms were. She also showed him the way to the bathroom. Finally, after showing him her room, her mom's room, and Souta's room, she directed him to his room.  
  
"This is the room I guess you'll be staying in for the next few months. So, make yourself at home and get cozy. This house is your house." She gave him a small smile before exiting and walking to her room, shutting the door softly.  
  
Plopping on her bed, she grabbed her diary and began to write in it. She stared down at her handwriting. It was small, but neat and readable. Flipping back a few pages, she began to read a few of the first diary entries she had written, weeks before she was kidnapped. Her reading was interrupted when a knock at the door was heard.  
  
Kagome cleared her throat before speaking, "Come in."  
  
The door slowly swung open, and a young hanyou stood in front of the doorway. She smiled at him and her mind drifted off somewhere. She looked at his face, his perfectly formed, strong jaw, manly nose and gorgeous amber eyes. He really is handsome, she thought as her eyes glazed over and she got that well-known dreamy look in her gaze. She snapped herself back to reality and motioned for him to come sit on the bed next to her.  
  
His hair swished behind him and his ears twitched at every sound, the creak of her bed, the noise of her setting her pencil down on her open diary, the sweet voice of her mother reading a story aloud to Souta downstairs. She admired his long, silver, silky smooth hair as he sat down. It was strange how he could sit without sitting on it.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Kagome asked, sitting up and letting her hair cascade down her shoulders. She had taken it out of the high ponytail when she got home.  
  
He watched her carefully before blinking and realizing he was staring at her. "I just wanted to talk and get to know you, is there a problem with that? Just because I walk in here doesn't mean there was something wrong. I would " he snapped a little too harshly. She winced, then the look on her face became angry.  
  
"What, are you going through male PMS or something? Why are you so mean? Even when we were over there I could sense that you were going to be mean."  
  
He glared and shook his head, twitching those ears again. She grumbled angrily and crossed her legs Indian style, trying not to get mad at him. It was a new place, new people. It could take a while to get used to the idea.  
  
"How long ago did you protect somebody else?" Kagome inquired, smiling again.  
  
_Does she always have to smile like that?_ He reflected. "Keh. Three years ago, I think."  
  
_Does he always have to start a sentence with 'keh?'_ She contemplated. "Really? Who was she?"  
  
"It could have been a _guy_, you know." He hmph'ed and crossed his arms, his trademark.  
  
"Well, then, who was it?"  
  
"It was a girl, and her name was. ." he paused, feeling ashamed to utter her name. He sucked it up and inhaled deeply. "Kikyo."  
  
"Kikyo? That's a nice name. Well, did they catch the person who kidnapped her?"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head sadly, lowering his gaze. She could hear a faint whimper resonate through her room and her gaze turned into concern as she touched his shoulder softly. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
His head snapped up in her direction, and his stare settled at her eyes. He shrugged her hand off his shoulder, letting them roll forward. "I was in the mall with her. She always went there. Always shopped there and spent her hard-earned money. We walked into a store, and something wasn't right about it but I thought it was just me, because I couldn't see anything bad going on. Just that strange vibe you get sometimes. Well I thought it was just a vibe, so I ignored it. Little did I know, there _was_ something wrong. When I caught myself staring off into space, I turned around and she was gone."  
  
Kagome gasped and he went on with the story.  
  
"I looked everywhere, calling her name, jumping from store to store, trying to sniff out her scent. It seemed like it was everywhere, but I couldn't grab it. As hard as I tried, I just couldn't. . People were staring at me like I was a crazy man, but I ignored it. I was used to all those stares. I've been getting them since I was little, all because I was a filthy half-breed." He snorted, but resumed. "I ran as fast as I could to the police station and told the chief. I knew I should have been fired, and I don't know why I wasn't, but he gave me another chance. It was because of me that they haven't found her yet, and you know how long it's been?"  
  
Kagome stayed silent, staring him in the eyes.  
  
"Three years."  
  
She lowered her head slowly, almost feeling his pain. She looked back up at him, but he was looking away, a swirl of emotions clouded his eyes.  
  
"You loved her." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.  
  
He growled and shook his head. "Never. Never have, never will. I'll never fall in love with anybody. You just end up getting hurt. Love only brings sadness."  
  
Her eyes narrowed and she stood up, in front of him, resting her hands on her hips. "That's not true! If you were truly in love with somebody you shouldn't deny it. You shouldn't regret falling in love. It's—"  
  
"Lies! They are all lies! You're a fool to believe that stuff. Stop reading romance novels and grow up."  
  
She glowered at him. "Believe what you want, but I'm telling you. Love is something you shouldn't regret or forget."  
  
"You have no business telling me what I should or should not do!"  
  
"I'm just trying to help you! Are you so locked up inside that you won't let anybody in anymore!? Well, when my words find a way to get in that thick skull of yours," she paused in her speaking for a moment to knock roughly on his forehead, "maybe you'll understand what I mean!"  
  
He twitched visibly and stood up. As he stood, her head tilted up slightly and his lowered to meet her gaze. "Wench."  
  
He walked past her furiously, opened the door and slammed it hard, causing the house to shake.  
  
"Idiot!" she yelled after him.  
  
Inuyasha walked into his new room and slammed that door too, before rubbing his forehead.  
  
Angry footsteps were heard coming up the steps. Kagome's door swung open violently, and there stood a very peeved mother.  
  
"Inuyasha, get in here!"  
  
Inuyasha unwillingly obliged, walking out of his door with his arms crossed. She looked at Inuyasha, then at Kagome, then back at Inuyasha.  
  
"Listen here young man," she turned her body fully towards Inuyasha and he blinked in surprise, "if you are going to protect my daughter, you had better have a better attitude than what you showed me today at the station and what I heard here just now! Your boss said that if I have any problems with you, I was free to take you right down to the station and giving you back. If I do that, you'll lose your job. So what'll it be, will you have a better attitude or do you want to lose your job?"  
  
Inuyasha lowered his head in defeat and quietly mumbled, "I'll have a better attitude."  
  
Kagome stifled a laughed and Inuyasha's head impulsively snapped up at the sound of her on-coming laughter.  
  
"As for you, young lady," Mrs. Higurashi turned towards Kagome this time, who in turn grew a very serious, yet very scared, expression, "you will learn to respect your guard. He's going to be with us for a long time, and I've heard he was among the best. So you respect him or suffer the consequences."  
  
Kagome whimpered and nodded leisurely. Now it was Inuyasha's turn to stifle his amusement.  
  
"I'm going to make dinner now." Now her voice was sweeter and Kagome let go of the breath she was forgot she was holding. "Be downstairs in thirty minutes!"  
  
Her steps were lighter down the stairs. Inuyasha turned weakly to Kagome. "Well, I don't want to lose my job."  
  
"And I don't want to lose my privileges."  
  
"So, I guess we're going to have to get along, then?"  
She smirked. "As if."  
  
His face faltered for a moment. "But—"  
  
"But what? If you start crap with me, I'm gonna get you back."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Like you could."  
  
"Is that a challenge?!"  
  
"You bet it is!"**. . .**Mrs. Higurashi was humming softly downstairs, chopping up vegetables and putting them in a large pot. Souta tugged on her apron and she looked down at him. "Yes, dear?"  
  
"How long is that man going to be with us?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know, a few months, at least?"  
  
"Is he mean?"  
  
She looked up thoughtfully, and then looked back down at the big brown eyes staring up at her. "No, not really."  
  
"Good! Maybe he'll want to play video games with me!"  
  
The two innocents downstairs were oblivious to the challenge made upstairs.**. . .****A/N:** Soooo, what'd you think? You like, or no? Remember, you can leave any questions, comments or suggestions for me! I'd be happy to read them, and answer them, or use them! Thank you Have a nice day! 


	4. Unwanted Invitation

**A/N:** Hey everybody! I was gone for the whole weekend. I spent some time with my cousins in Vallejo and we all roasted marshmallows on Saturday night! :D Good times, good times. Thank you much mucho for reviewing! :)  
  
**Hot-Hanyou:** =) Thank you. Your encouragement gives me the will to write! :D  
  
**OceanBreeze777:** An estimate? I don't really know at the moment. I'm just going with the flow! And of course they're gonna find out they love each other. ;) But you just have to be patient! Thank you for your review!  
  
**John Doe:** Don't worry, I'm a big fluff-fan, so there will be lots in the future! Thank you for reviewing!  
  
**WiNtEr-sToRm-oF-iCe:** Thanks for your review, you're such a sweetie. =D  
  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha. -sigh-

**Chapter Four ::** Unwanted Invitation It was 6:00am. An alarm clock rang, followed by a loud smack, a tired groan and a rustling of bed sheets. Kagome was out of bed, rubbing her left eye viciously and yawning. She glanced back at her warm covers and frowned, then walked downstairs and into the kitchen.  
  
Guess who was at the stove?  
  
"What are you doing up so early?" Kagome blinked, sitting down and setting her head on the wooden table. "I hate Mondays."  
  
"Good morning, sleepyhead. I always get up when the sun rises, it's weird. I feel all refreshed, too!" Inuyasha beamed and continuously stirred the Ramen currently cooking in the pot on the stove. He inhaled the intoxicating aroma and gripped the handle, carefully bringing it over to the sink, where he poured some in two bowls, graciously giving himself the bigger one.  
  
She reluctantly lifted her head from its uncomfortable position and gave him a weak smile. "At least you had the decency to make enough for me. Thanks."  
  
"Keh." He rolled his eyes and began taking large spoonfuls of the soup and shoving them into his mouth.  
  
"You're just like my brother; a pig." Kagome daintily ate her soup. She was barely even halfway when Inuyasha finished.  
  
"You're such a slow eater! I bet I could make more Ramen and scarf it down before you could finish that bowl right there."  
  
"Oh yeah?!"  
  
Inuyasha smirked, already getting out the Ramen and putting it into the used pot. He stirred quickly, turning the oven on high, while he heard slurping sounds behind him.  
  
Kagome glared at him with her mouth stuffed with noodles and her face drenched with soup. He laughed and just ate the Ramen from the pot.  
  
"There, I'm done!"  
  
Inuyasha swallowed a mouthful of noodles. "Nope, you have to drink the soup, too!"  
  
She scowled angrily and tilted the bowl over her mouth, drinking the soup like it was a lifeline.  
  
"There. I win! You. . Lose?"  
  
Inuyasha had finished his, or so it seemed. He was smiling at her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.  
  
"How did you—"she was interrupted by her own loud burp. Kagome sunk low in her chair, redness covering her already rosy cheeks. "Excuse me."  
  
He let out a loud laugh and brought the pot back from under the table. There was still Ramen in there, but he had eaten a good amount already.  
  
"You didn't! Ugh. I'm gonna go ready for bed. You knew I wasn't going to finish my ramen, didn't you?"  
  
Inuyasha just smiled and continued eating. She held in an annoyed yell before storming back upstairs, holding her stomach all the way to the bathroom. **. . .**

It was a half an hour later and Kagome was out of the shower. She glanced at the time, drying her hair. 7:00am.  
  
"I still have plenty of time." She got dressed while humming a quiet tune, one she actually made up herself.  
  
"Are you ready yet?!" came an irritated call from an irritated hanyou downstairs. Kagome grinded her teeth and tried taking deep breaths.  
  
"School doesn't start until 8 so shove it!"  
  
Inuyasha growled and walked into her room without knocking, then quickly shut it when he saw she was still in a towel. His face turned as red as a cherry.  
  
Kagome's face was also quite scarlet. Since her back was turned to the door and she was only _loosely_ holding her towel, he might've seen more than he should have. . She knew it was an accident but he deserved to be scolded, anyway. That's what you get for not knocking!  
  
"You pervert!" She threw her shoe at the door and he winced, running downstairs.  
  
"What happened?" Kagome's mom questioned. She had gotten up a few minutes ago.  
  
Inuyasha blinked, dumbfounded, and then remembered the accident that occurred upstairs and his face heated into that familiar crimson. "Nothing," he mumbled.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi looked skeptic but resumed folding the laundry, nevertheless.  
  
Kagome skipped downstairs, glancing at the time again. 7:30am, just on time!  
  
"Hurry up, Inuyasha! Bye Mom and Souta!" she waltzed out the door with Inuyasha slowly dragging along behind.  
  
_Today feels like a good day, even if this stupid stomachache is killing me,_ she thought, adjusting the straps on her backpack. _That was rude of Inuyasha to trick me like that, and then just walk into my room without knocking! The nerve!_ She fumed silently to herself, looking back as Inuyasha boredly walked behind her. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help staring at his healthy long, unnaturally coloured hair.  
  
"He really is handsome. ." she said out loud quietly, then opened her eyes wide enough so that she could see clear across the country. _Oh my God, did I just say that outloud?!_ Her heart was pounding and her cheeks were slightly tinted with pink. Inuyasha gave her that all-knowing smirk and tilted his head innocently.   
  
"What did you say?" he asked, ingenuously. Of course he'd heard, he's a hanyou for crying out loud! He just wanted to rub it in her face a little.  
  
She glared at him, the pink becoming a darker shade. "Nothing, what makes you think I said anything, because I didn't say anything."  
  
"You think I'm handsome?"  
  
"Yes. Wait!" she was mentally kicking herself inside. "No!"  
  
He frowned and his ears drooped a little. "Oh, you don't, eh?"  
  
She twitched. Well the cat's out of the bag, now. No point in lying about it. "Fine. Maybe just a little."  
  
Inuyasha grinned and she grimaced.  
  
"Maybe this won't be such a good day after all."

**. . .**

"Higurashi!"  
  
Kagome turned around quickly, accidentally giving herself whiplash. She gave a weak smile to the boy who greeted her.  
  
"Hojo. What a pleasant surprise," she said flatly, holding in her groan. Inuyasha glanced over at her from his position on top of a tree branch, quirking an eyebrow, obviously amused. Yet, something inside him told him that this Hobo guy was trouble.  
  
Hojo whipped around, fumbling in his pack. He grabbed an envelope and handed it to her. "I'm having a party this Saturday night, and I'm wondering if you would be able to come?"  
  
She looked up at Inuyasha on his branch, a little enthralled by his bright red jacket. He shrugged and she turned back to Hojo.  
  
"That sounds fun?"  
  
"Great! I'll see you then!"  
  
He turned around to leave but she tapped him on the shoulder. Inuyasha watched them carefully.  
  
"Yes, Higurashi?"  
  
_What kind of idiot calls somebody by their last name?_ Inuyasha shook his head and scowled, eying the boy.  
  
"Can I bring somebody along with me?"  
  
Hojo blinked and stared her straight in the eyes. "It depends, who is it?"  
  
She coughed slightly and tried to meet his eyes. "His name is Inuyasha, and he's my bodyguard, to put it simply. See, I don't know if you know this, but I was kidnapped—"  
  
The young man shifted uncomfortable, but nodded. "Sure, it's alright if he comes. Well, gotta go, see ya!"  
  
Kagome stared as he raced off. "Did I say something wrong?"  
  
Inuyasha jumped off the branch and let out his trademark 'keh'. "I don't think he's very comfortable talking about the whole kidnapping situation, seeing as how that boy obviously has a crush on you."  
  
"Yes, but I feel totally fine talking about it. . What's wrong with it?"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, combing a hand through his bangs. "Nevermind, it's not important." He glanced around to find that the front of the school was empty.  
  
"Um, Kagome? Are you supposed to be in class, or. ."  
  
She took a sharp glance around before screaming. "That stupid baka made me late! Come on Inuyasha, I thought you were a hanyou, get a move on!" Kagome grabbed his hand and tugged harshly, almost pulling his arm out of his socket. He yelped and raced off with her, wondering how such a small person could gain that much speed in a short period of time.

**A/N:** Well, chapter 4 is done! Sorry again for being a little late. I'm gonna try to make my chapters much longer, so cross your fingers and hope I can do it! Bye everybody! Thanks for reading and reviewing. :)


	5. Party

**A/N:** Omg, that last chapter had a lot of glitchy typo thingys! Like there wasn't space where was supposed to be at like the beginning where it says "**Chapter 4 :: **Unwanted Invitation" and then it just starts the chapter. Ugh. -.- Anyways, I'm gonna be a lot more careful in this one. Sorry if it confused any of you! :(

**Hot Hanyou:** Thank you so much for the review and compliment. -hug- :)

**WiNtEr-sToRm-oF-iCe:** Thank you :D You make me feel so loved! -hug-

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha or any characters from Inuyasha. :/ Sigh.

* * *

****

**Unexpected Love**

**Chapter 5 :: **Party

"So you're coming, right?" 

Kagome walked home from school, accompanied by Hojo and Inuyasha, who was currently jumping on the treetops. She inwardly groaned, for this had been the sixteenth time this week Hojo had asked her this question.

"Yes, Hojo, for the last time, _I'm coming to your party._" she tried to say it slower so it would sink into that pea-sized brain of his, but that never works.

He smiled gleefully and watched Inuyasha in amazement as he jumped the trees. His muscles could be seen working furiously under his clothes as he bent down to give himself more momentum when he hopped easily from one branch to another. _What if,_ Hojo asked himself, increasing with worry, _Kagome hooks up with this guy? I mean, she's going to be hanging around him a lot. ._

"Hojo! Are you even listening to me?" Kagome's slightly irritated voice ruptured his thoughts and his gaze snapped back to hers.

He nodded quickly and gave a short bow. "Sorry, Higurashi! I guess I kinda spaced out there."

She gave him an odd look before realizing that they had already reached her house. "Thanks for walking me home, Hojo. I'll see you later on tonight."

Hojo smiled and sprinted to his own house, earning an amused snort from Inuyasha.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing."

**. . .**

"Hurry up, will you!" a peeved Inuyasha called, sitting on his bed while Kagome busily ran around her room in a frantic search for nice clothes for the party.

Kagome let out a huff of annoyance as she threw clothes around her room. "What am I going to wear?"

As if reading her mind, Inuyasha called out, "Just throw on something casual and let's go!"

"Alright, alright already!" she stormed out of her room and stomped into Inuyasha's standing halfway in the doorway.

Inuyasha looked up from his position on the bed and stared. No, more like gawked. She was wearing a red shirt that showed a bit of her well-toned belly, with dark blue jeans that were tight by the rear-area and a little looser by her feet. She had a white belt on with dark eyeliner and a little bit of red eyeshadow to match her ensamble.

Kagome was also staring at Inuyasha who had put on some nice dreads of his own. He was wearing a silky looking white shirt that was a bit unbuttoned at the top, showing his nice chest and tan. His pants were jeans and casual and his hair was down and flowy as usual.

"You look nice." they said at the same time. Kagome shook her head and turned around to walk out the door.

"Ready?"

She heard light footsteps behind her and they proceeded into Inuyasha's car.

**. . .**

At the party, it looked like everybody in the whole school was there. Kagome knocked on the door and was greeted by Hojo who seemed to light up at her appearance. Inuyasha's left eyebrow twitched as he watched the two friends hug and walk inside. He followed closely behind them.

Hojo turned around and looked at him an arched a brow. "Who are you?"

Kagome blinked and also turned, then clung to a very surprised Inuyasha's arm. "This is Inuyasha, my bodyguard. He's the one I told you about.

"Oh, I see. Nice to meet you, Inuyasha." he held out his hand uncertainly and the half-demon instantly grabbed it, gripping a little roughly. Hojo sucked in his breath, because every time their hands went up in the 'friendly' shake, Inuyasha would clench tighter. Kagome saw Hojo straining and Inuyasha biting his bottom lip, holding back a laugh, and quickly broke the two from shaking hands.

From somewhere in the house, the well-known cry was heard. "You stupid lecher!" Followed by a recognizable smack.

"Sango, my love, I didn't mean to! My hand slipped!"

"You hand slipped-- What a load of bull!"

"Sango?" Kagome's eyes widened as flashbacks of that horrible night came flooding back into her mind. She shut her eyes tightly, willing them away, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

_She's scared,_ Inuyasha thought when he met her frightened eyes with his own. That flicker of fear in her eyes seemed to vanish and her scent changed back to normal when she looked at him.

She shook her head and gave him a small smile. "I'm gonna go find Sango."

The young dark-haired girl pushed her way through the crowd of people dancing and found Sango. She had her back turned to a rather attractive looking man who was smiling foolishly. He had a rather large imprint of a hand on his left cheek.

"I don't see why you're mad, you obviously enjoy it.

Sango slowly turned around with a twinkle of evil in her eyes. "You are such a pervert."

"Only to you, Sango my love."

She rolled her eyes and turned back around. "Yeah, whatever."

"Sango?"

Sango spun to see Kagome standing in front of her. "Kagome?"

"You remember me?" she looked down at Sango, wide-eyed, then smiled a genuine smile.

"Of course I remember you, how could I forget? I didn't know you knew Hojo. How are you doing? Are you okay? Did they catch that guy? You must've had a hard time. ."

"Hey, it's okay and I'm fine. I just wanted to tell you how thankful I am that you were there, and that you saved my life."

Sango blushed. _Well she just boosted my ego._ "Ah, it was no big. It was kind of like being at the right place at the right time, eh?"

"Yeah, but thank you."

"And who is _this_ lovely young lady?"

Kagome looked down at the man next to Sango and stared, a little confused. "Eh?"

In an instant, he had Kagome's hands in his and was placing tender kisses on the back of each hand. "Kagome, was it? That's a beautiful name. I was wondering if you would b--"

Before he could finish, Sango had smacked him hard in the back of the head. He stood up quickly and laughed nervously, then sat back down. His face faltered a little. Sango put her hands on her hips and looked down at the poor guy, shaking her head.

"When will he learn?"

"Who's that?"

"His name's Miroku. He has this problem when it comes to pretty girls. See, he'll either ask them to 'bear his child' or he'll cop a feel on their rear."

Kagome looked shocked, then turned around suddenly. "I wonder where Inuyasha went. ."

"Inu-who?"

"Inuyasha. He's my bodyguard because. . You know."

She nodded and Kagome rotated again, looking for the silver-haired hanyou. "I'm gonna go look for him."

**. . .**

Inuyasha was sitting on sofa with about ten girls next to him, fondling his ears, cuddling with him and playing with his hair. He twitched, trying to pry them off.

"You're so cute!"

"I love your hair!"

"Those ears are adorable!"

"Hey, um, can you let go?" his ear swiveled and the girl who was playing with it giggled and just continued. He sighed and saw a shadow tower over him.

"Having fun, Inuyasha?"

"Kagome!"

He stood up quickly and all the girls around him fell. For some reason he felt like he had just been caught stealing cookies from a cookie jar or something. In other words, he felt guilty, and his ears drooped a little.

She looked up at him, feeling slightly hurt. But why should she? It's not like she owned him or anything. He was her bodyguard and she was being protected by him. That's all their relationship consisted of, right?

_Right?_

**. . .**

The party was over and it was time to go home. It was about 2am and the only reason her mom let her stay out late was because Inuyasha was with her. Otherwise she would have had to be home by at least 10.

"Inuyasha, I'm tired. ."

He glared down at her and rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. He kneeled down and she looked at him quizically. "What?"

"Get on."

She stared down at his back for a while and he sighed again. "You said you were tired, right?"

She nodded.

"Well then, get on and I'll carry you to the car."

Kagome slowly put her hands on his shoulders and he stood up, hooking his arms under her legs so she was just resting on his back and barely holding on. She leaned the right side of her face against the soft material of his shirt and slowly dozed off, lulled by the steady footsteps he was creating and the way she could feel his muscles working underneath his shirt. She felt safe and guarded when she was near him, and she didn't want that safe feeling to go away.

He slowly sat her in the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt, then walked over to the driver seat and sat, starting the engine. He began to drive home, but was suddenly rammed into by another car on his way out of Hojo's neighborhood. The car was black and almost completely blended in with the darkness, and a hooded figure was behind the wheel.

A very pissed off Inuyasha rolled down the window and stuck his fist out, baring his fangs. "Learn how to drive you idiot!"

The car rammed into him again and Inuyasha glared angrily. Kagome jolted awake, her eyes darting around nervously. She rubbed her neck and winced, feeling the after effects of whiplash. She stared at the dark car in front of them as it rammed into Inuyasha's car once again.

Their eyes widened in realization when they realized who was behind the wheel.

**. . .**

**A/N: **Sorry to leave you there, everybody! Every story needs a good cliffy, right? ;) Right? .. No don't hate me :( I'll start working on it soon because I myself hate cliffhangers! Guess what? I GOT A GUITAR! Oh yes. I'm taking lessons over the summer, isn't it spiff? :D

Okay. So until next time, kids! See ya soon! :)


	6. A Little Relaxation?

**A/N**: Holy wow. It's been like, what, three years since I've touched this thing? I've actually done a lot of growing up since then, but I still loves me some Inuyasha. I figured… Why not start up again? I guess. I don't know. We'll see how it goes. After reading my previous chapters, I've become inspired again. Hahaha! We'll seeeeee. If I make any mistakes with eye colors and whatnot, I'm sorry. :s It's definitely been a while.

My apologies to those of you who have been waiting for three years for me to upload another chapter. And hello to new readers. :

**Disclaimer**: I don't really want to own Inuyasha anymore, because I grew out of my obsession and on to new Anime. But I still enjoy watching the series.

**Chapter Six**: A Little Relaxation?

Inuyasha clutched the steering wheel tighter, feeling a sense of dread course through his body when he realized that this was the real deal and that he needed to be protecting Kagome with his life. "Hold on, okay?" His tone was calm, semi-gentle; he could smell the fear resonating off of her in waves so he tried his best to reassure her that everything was going to be alright.

She nodded and gripped the handle on top of her window. Not knowing what to do with her left hand, she simply clutched it into a fist on her lap and hoped for the best. Those blood-red eyes caught her own blue ones when he had first rammed into Inuyasha's car.

The half-demon sped off into the residential area, trying to lose Kagome's captor by randomly turning into different streets. He had worked this part of town before when he was an officer who patrolled the streets, so he knew when to turn and when not to turn. His golden eyes glanced into the rearview mirror, the blinding high beams of the car behind him temporarily blinding him. He swirved the car and Kagome shrieked, her heart racing from the excitement and fright.

"Unbuckle your seatbelt." He set the car in cruise and opened the moon roof quickly, unbuckling his own seatbelt. She stared at him in surprise and he glanced over at her, waiting, mentally cursing her for moving too slow.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You could get us killed! You're supposed to be protecting me, not putting my life in danger!"

"Shut the hell up and trust me, woman! I'm your bodyguard! I'm not going to let anything happen to you, got it!?" He unbuckled her seatbelt for her in a frenzied panic and stood up in his seat, staring outside of the window. He had made sure to turn into a private road, a long one that barely any cars went down, so that he could set the car setting to cruise and the speed to about seventy miles per hour. The car behind him was slowly gaining speed, his lights illuminating Inuyasha's car. He grabbed Kagome's arm and stood her up, forcing her to straddle his midsection.

"What the—"

"Trust me, I said!" Strong, built arms held her tightly to his abdomen and reflexively her arms wrapped around his neck. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and he moved his hands down to under her thighs to make sure that she wouldn't lose her grip. She blushed when she felt where his hands were moving and didn't know if she wanted to smack him or not.

He crouched and, like a kangaroo, leaped out of the moon roof with Kagome held tightly to his body so that they could both fit. She felt the crisp night air caress her face and the masculine smell of Inuyasha tease her nose. Without thinking she shut her eyes and pulled closer to him, trying to escape the cold. He bounded effortlessly from tree to tree, glancing back behind him to find that his car had crashed into a rather large oak tree and that the car that was chasing him was no where to be found. With a sigh of relief he stopped on a high sturdy branch of an old tree and put Kagome down.

The two were breathing heavily; the only sounds in the night besides the crickets and occasionally bat flying overhead. A decent silence passed over them before Kagome broke it with her voice.

"Are you kidding me right now?" She leaned forward towards Inuyasha who was leaning against the tree, one leg dangling off the branch and the other resting on top of it. She was breathing rather hard from all the exhilaration of the "ride", so it took a while for her to get her words out. "How did he know I was going to be there?!"

"It's a high school party at a popular boy's house. It's not really that hard to figure out, you know." Inuyasha was fine. He wasn't breathing hard; he seemed completely calm and collected. This baffled Kagome, until she remembered that he was a half-demon and he didn't get tired easily, and when he did, he recovered quickly.

She rolled her eyes and looked up at the shadowy branches above. Before she could stop herself she looked down and realized that they were more than thirty feet off the ground. She wasn't particularly afraid of heights; she had gone on more roller coasters in her life than she could count. But she was always strapped in and safe. This time, up high in a tree, there was nothing securing her. If she fell, that was it. It was over.

"Come over here," Inuyasha motioned for her to scoot towards him. His hair shone brightly because of the light of the moon, and he looked like one of those models you would see in magazines. His shirt was partially unbuttoned and his face was strikingly handsome. The light was shining on all the right places.

"Are you serious? No way am I going to crawl over there. How do you expect me to move? If I move, I'll fall. I guarantee it. Then all of that jumping in trees and crashing your car would've been all for nothing. Then you'd lose your job and—"

"Damnit woman, do you always talk this much?" He grabbed her wrist and effortlessly pulled her into his arms. He sat up straight and she leaned against his chest. She was trembling and he could feel her heart beating a thousand miles a minute. "Are you okay? You're trembling."

_I don't know if I'm trembling because of what just transpired, or if I'm trembling because I'm sitting extremely close to an extremely hot guy who just saved my life,_ she thought, trying to stop her body from shaking like she just downed an energy drink. _I guess I'll settle for both_.

Finally her body listened to her silent coaxing and stopped shaking so much. She put her hands on her bent knees, for lack of a better place to put them, and tried to hold back a smile when she felt Inuyasha rest his head on her own. Her mind was telling her to scream at him, call him a pervert, and demand that he take her home at once… But her body was telling her to sit in his arms for just a few more minutes.

"Um… Thank you for saving me tonight."

"Keh, it's all in the job, Kagome. I get paid to do this."

She flinched at his words but knew they were true. Why else would he have put his life on the line? Everything in this world is about money. Without money, there is no motivation… At least, that's what _they_ say. Kagome, along with the rest of the teenage girl population in the world, thought differently.

Without warning, she managed to fall asleep. His hair was brushing against her cheek every time his chest moved up and down when he breathed, and the warmth of his body was too comfortable to resist the grasp of Mr. Sandman.

"Stupid girl."

The next morning, Kagome awoke in her room, neatly tucked in her bed. The light of the sun was shining through her curtains and right into her face. Annoyed, she turned over under her covers and glanced at her clock. It was almost eleven in the morning.

"I never wake up this late on the weekends… I wonder how long Inuyasha and I were in that tree last night?" She felt the familiar heat rise to her face when she remembered their position last night. They were in a tree, underneath the light of the moon, surrounded by darkness, with no civilization for at least a ten minutes drive. It must've been hell for Inuyasha to have to carry her back home.

She walked downstairs and went straight for the fridge, pulling out the milk and drinking it straight from the carton without even realizing it.

"That's disgusting, sis. People drink milk in this house too, you know!" Souta was sitting at the table in front of Inuyasha, flicking cereal at him absently. Inuyasha grimaced when a soggy one hit him in the cheek.

"Sorry, Souta. It was a long night. Inuyasha, can I talk to you for a second?" Kagome wiped her mouth of the excess milk and motioned for him to follow her to the family room.

He stood in front of her with his hands on his hips, waiting for her to speak. Her eyes darted around the room, everywhere but on him. "Well, about last night…"

"Don't worry. I told your mom that the party got boring and you fell asleep on the couch. I said that I was watching you and making sure nobody else took advantage of you or anything, and I also told her that you weren't drinking. You were just exhausted and bored. Then I took you home before the party ended because I was getting bored staring at your motionless form."

Her brows ruffled in confusion. "Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

He shrugged, "I figured you wouldn't want her to worry."

"So… What did you tell her about the car?"

"I told her that a couple of the officers picked it up because one needed to pick up her daughter from camp. It was an emergency. It was just a company car, so it doesn't really bother me that it was wrecked. Plus, carrying you is like carrying a feather. You're so light that I almost forgot you were in my arms for like three hours."

"An _hour_? What did you do, walk?"

"What did you expect me to do? Run? Jump? I didn't want to wake you up. You were sleeping so soundly. You kinda mumble in your sleep, too." He laughed, teasing her. With that said, he walked back into the kitchen to finish his breakfast.

"I'm not done talking to you yet, Inuyasha!"

"Keh. Yeah yeah, whatever. You don't have to thank me again."

She fumed silently and turned her head a little too quickly, forgetting about the whiplash she acquired when the car hit her last night. A moan of pain escaped her lips as she dropped to her knees, rubbing her neck to get rid of the sharp piercing ache. After about a minute of gentle rubbing she walked upstairs to take a shower, not so eager to start her Sunday. She was supposed to run errands for her mom, and because she didn't know the real story of what happened last night, Kagome couldn't use the events of last night to get out of going to the grocery store and picking up the dry cleaning.

The hot water ran over her body as she took a shower. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted slightly towards the water as it rushed down her neck. _I wish I could just wash all of this crap from my memory like I can wash all of the dirt from my body_, she thought to herself as she reached for the soap. Her mind was racing; so many thoughts ran through it at once and she didn't know which one to deal with first. How she felt towards her own bodyguard, what she was going to do about this creep who wouldn't leave her alone, if she was going to tell her mom about what really happened… She was only seventeen and all of this is too overwhelming for a seventeen year old to handle. The average seventeen year old girl spends most of her time obsessing over boys, trying to constantly stay in style, and worrying about what makes her look fat or not. But for Kagome, the majority of her time was spent constantly looking over her shoulder and arguing with the bodyguard her mom forced her to keep. _I guess it's comforting_, she thought,_ that I have someone here to protect me. It just sucks that I need someone to protect me at all. I wish I was just an average teenager_.

She turned off the shower and walked out, drying herself off and feeling the stinging sensation of tears prick the back of her eyes. _Where are these coming from all of a sudden_? The tired teenager's worn-out mind and body were just too overwhelmed with the sudden change in lifestyle. From a happy-go-lucky girl to one fearing for her life was a rather harsh turn of events. It was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"I can't believe this is happening. Why me?" She asked no one in particular and wrapped the towel around her body. Still wet, she walked out of the bathroom and tiptoed to her room so she wouldn't drip too much on the carpet. After drying off, putting on some clothes and wrapping her hair in the towel, she plopped heavily on her bed and silently cried, letting her pillows and blankets soak up her salty tears.

The door of her room creaked open and she gasped, ferociously wiping at her eyes and trying to hide the puffy swollen mess that was her face.

Inuyasha cleared his throat, smelling the scent of tears and sadness. "Sorry, your mom just wanted me to remind you not to forget that you have those errands to run…"

She nodded but didn't turn around. "I'll be down in a minute."

"Are you okay?"

She nodded her head, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just… I'll finish getting ready, then we'll go."

The door closed and she looked down at her pillow through blurry eyes, whimpering softly to herself. "I hate this so much. I wish it would all just… Go away." She sighed, then wiped her eyes. When she turned around to get off her bed and check her face in the mirror, she was shocked to see Inuyasha still standing at her doorway. "Oh my—Inuyasha! Get out! Why are you still in my room!? I thought you left!"

"Well excuse me for worrying about you, wench!"

"Don't call me a wench you… You jerk!"

"Don't call me a jerk, you bitch!"

She gasped, fire growing in her eyes. "How dare you call me a bitch, you asshole! Why did _you,_ out of all people, have to be my bodyguard!?"

"I didn't ask to be your bodyguard, damnit! Do you think I _wanted_ to protect someone who looks like the girl I failed to protect in my past!? I'm doing this because I need cash, alright?!"

Frustrated and hurt, she pulled the towel out of her hair and wiped her face with it, pushing Inuyasha aside and walking to the bathroom, slamming the door shut. The ears on top of his head twitched a little when he heard the loud noise of the blow-dryer, but could still hear the quiet of Kagome's sobs.

"Damn it!" He rubbed his eyes out of exasperation and walked out of her room, storming downstairs to wait for her so that they could run the errands her mom had set for them.

He glared upstairs, his face contorting into a scowl. "Damn it all to Hell!"

**A/N**: Ooh, angsty. :p Well anyhoo, I tried getting back into writer-mode again. Hopefully I did okay. Expect another chapter… Soon maybe. Hopefully sooner than three years. ;)


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